Cable-guard for tackle-blocks



J. M KELSEY. CABLE GUA BD'FOR TACKLE BLOCKS.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. L920.

Patented May 31,1921.

IVTOR. v

A TTORN Y BY/n 1; i eat :uic M. KELSEY, or BBEA, CALIFORNIA.

' CABLE-GUARD FOR TACKLE-BLOCKS.

. Application filed May 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACK M. -Knnsiav, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brea, in the county of Orange and State of a cable guard fortackle-blocks, as a safety device designed to prevent accident to anoperator by having his hands cr -clothing become caught between theblock and cable runs or otherwise. v r j Another object is to provide acable guard which automatically adjusts itself to varying angular andspreading movements of the cable runs and prevents the cables runningoff their respective cable sheaves, and which also prevents an upsettingof the block.

Another object is to provide a cable guard having a series ofremovabljecable engaging elements capable of being assembled in varying numberstocooperate with blo'ckshaving difi'erent numbersof cablesheaves andadapted for attachment to blocks of various sizes.

Various other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent fromthe following description of the accompanying drawings, which formeapart'of this disclosure, and which illustrate a preferred form ofembodiment of the invention. I I

Of the drawings: F'gure 1 is a side elevation,-partlyin section,of-atackle-blockembodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation.

I Fig. '3 is a detail section on linev w ''w of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing the device as shifted by a spreadingof the cable runs.

In the drawings, the cable guard of the present invention is illustratedas applied to a snatch block as generally used as part of well drillingand operating equipment, and in such use the cable is rove aroundrelatively separated crown pulleys at the top of the well derrick sothat as the block is elevated toward the top of the derrick the runsofthecable adjacent the block 1920. 8' SeriaI -No. 383,703.

become more widely separated transversely and laterally. The presentstructure automati-cally adjusts itself to this separation of the runsof the cable and by engaging the cable runs above the pivoted center ofthe sheaves of the block prevents the block from upsett ng in eitherdirection.

While I have illustrated a three sheave I block 111 the drawings, itwillbe understood that the cable guard herein disclosed may be applied toblocks having any number of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented31, 19 21 i sheaves and that any desired number of the cable housings orshoes as independent removable units may be assembled together for useon blocks. of varlous sizes.

Q In the drawings, the frame of the block I comprises two side plates1,2 and two. in-

termediate spacing plates 8, 4, secured together at their opposite endsby transversebolts 5, 6, the plates being maintained in spaced relationat each-end by the hub p0r-. I

tions 7, 8 oftheupper and lower bails 9, 10, and bya spac ng sleeve 11as shown in Fig. i

2, this being the general frame 'structureof standard tackleeblocks. Thecable sheaves- 12, 13, 14: are positioned between the plates and arejournaled on a transverse rod 15 extending through'allned aperturestherein.

Attached to the upper portionsof each side plate 1,, 2 Iprovide'laterally extended bracket arms 16,16 and 17,17 eachpair beingrelatively transversely alined and extending outwardly; Carried by thesebracket' arms are transverse pivot rods 18,18 each extendedacross'andadj acent the faces of the cable sheaves and maintainedagainst displacement by a head 20 and lock-nuts 21,

22. Each pivot-rodispositioned between the faces of the cable sheavesand-the adjacent runs 23 of the cable andform meansfor pivotallysupporting'the respective cable; I I

guards.

The guard elements for the cable runs are all of duplicate-construction, each comprising a housing 24L of the U-shaped cross sectional contour, loosely pivoted on the respective pivot rod 18, the rodextending through transversely alined pivot apertures 19 in-the opposedlimbs of the-housing said apertures being enlarged; to permit". the

housing. to tilt transversely on the rod. Each housing 1s positioned onits pivot rod with its open side facing inwardly and they respectivecable .run passes upwardly in the cable-way between the rod and the backwall of the'housing A transverse retaining rod 25 extends through alinedapertures 26 in the opposed limbs of the several housings 24: and ispositioned on the inside of the several cable runs 23 closing the upperportions of the open sides of the housings and engaging the innersurface of the cable runs to maintain the housings in position. Theapertures 26 are enlarged so that each housing or shoe 24L may tilttransversely Without binding on the rod 25 and the rod has a head 28 atone end and suitable locknuts 29, 30 on the opposite end, maintaining itagainst displacement. The lower edges of the cable housings 24 areflared outwardly so as not to foul the cable during the various tiltingand rocking movements of the housings.

In assembling the guard elements or housings on the block after thecable has been properly applied and with the block suspended as shown inFig. 1, a proper number of said housings, depending upon the number ofcable sheaves in the block, are placed over the cable runs and the pivotrod 18 is threaded through the apertures in the bracket arms and throughthe pivot apertures 19 of the several housings and the lock-nuts 21, 22screwed on the rod to secure it against displacement. The retaining rod25 is then threaded through the apertures 26 in said housings and thelock-nuts 29, 30 screwed thereon.

In use, the guard elements or cable housings will effectively prevent anoperator from inserting his hand between the moving cables and the cablesheaves and as the cable runs 23 spread apart to a greater tangentialangle the housings will rock on their pivot rods, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1. And when the cable runs 23 spread apart transverselythe housings will slide on the pivot rods and Will tilt transversely toautomatically accommodate themselves to the changing angular positionsof the cable runs, as shown in Fig. 4, this tilting being permitted bythe enlargement of the apertures in the housings. The engagement of thecable housings or shoes with the cable above the center of the cablesheaves also prevents the block from upsetting and maintains the blockin an approximate vertical plane when not in use.

I claim: r

1. Ar cable guard combining a tackleblock having a frame and a cablesheave, a pivot rod carried by the frame and extended across the face ofthe sheave, a cable shoe loosely pivoted on said rod and adapted toembrace the sides and the outer surface of a cable rove around thesheave, and means carried by the shoe adapted to engage the innersurface of the cable to maintain the shoe in position.

2. Acable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and a cablesheave, a pivot rod car-ried by the frame and extended across the faceof the sheave, and a cable shoe providing a U-shaped cable-way engagingthe sides and the outer surface of a cable rove around the sheave andloosely pivoted on said rod, the shoe having means adapted to engage theinner surface of the cable in said cable-way above the pivot rod.

3. A cable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and a cablesheave, a pivot rod carried by said frame and extended across the faceof the sheave, a cable shoe providing a U-shaped cable-way engaging thesides and the outer surface of a cable rove around the sheave andloosely pivoted on the rod, and means engaging the opposed limbs of theshoe and extending across the cable-way to engage the inner surface ofthe cable above the pivot rod.

4;. A cable guard combining a tackleblock having a frame and a cablesheave, a cable shoe U-shaped in cross section and positioned with itsopen side facing the sheave, said shoe having transversely alinedapertures in its opposed limbs, a pivot rod carried by the frame andextending across the face of the sheave and through said apertures andproviding a cable-way between the rod and the back of the shoe, andmeans carried by the shoe, spaced from the pivot rod and adapted toengage a cable in the cable-way to maintain the shoe in position.

5. A cable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and a cablesheave, a pivot rod carried by the frame and extending across andpositioned closely adjacent the face of the cable sheave, a U-shapedcable housing loosely journaled on said rod and providing a cable-waybetween the rod and the back of the shoe, and means'carried by the shoeand extended across the upper end of the cable-way.

' 6. A cable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and aplurality of cable sheaves, a pivot rod carried by the frame andextended across the faces of the sheaves, a plurality of cable housingsof U-shaped cross sectional contour pivoted on the rod and providingindependent cable-ways, the pivot apertures being formed in the opposedlimbs of each housing and enlarged to permit an independent transversetilting thereof, and a retaining rod extending through alined enlargedapertures in the opposed limbs of each housing and closing the upperends of the cable-ways.

7. A cable guard combining a plurality of cable housings of U-shapedcross sectional contour providing independent cable-ways and havingtransversely alined pivot apertures in their opposed limbs, and othertransversely alined apertures in their opposed limbs spaced from thepivot apertures, a tackle-block having a frame and a plurality of cablesheaves, a pivot rod carried by the frame and extending across the facesof the sheaves and through the pivot apertures of the cable housings,and a retaining rod extended through the other alined apertures of thecable housings, both rods being spaced from the back Walls of thehousings to form intermediate cableways, all the apertures beingenlarged to permit an independent free transverse tilting of each cablehousing.

8. .A cable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and a cablesheave, a cable rove around the sheave and having a tangentiallyextending run, a transverse pivot rod carried by the frame andpositioned between said cable run and the face of the sheave, a cablehousing loosely pivoted on said rod and providing a U-shaped cable- Way,the cable run passing between the pivot rod and the back Wall of thehousing, and means closing the upper portion of the cable-Way andengaging the cable run. to maintain the housing in position.

9. A cable guard combining a tackle-block having a frame and a pluralityof cable sheaves, a transverse pivot rod carried by the frame andextending across and adjacent the faces of the sheaves, a plurality ofcable housings loosely pivoted on the rod, each housing being ofU-shaped cross v sectional contour and forming a cable-Way between thepivot rod and the back wall of the housing, and a retaining rodextending through the opposed limbs of each housing and closing theupper portions of the open sides of the housings. g

10. A cable guard combining a tackleblock having a frame and a cablesheave, a pivot rod carried by the frame and extended across the face ofthe sheave, and a cable

